The
yearly addition to the EA soccer franchise FIFA Football
is finally upon us in the form of FIFA 06. Following
tradition this game improves old gameplay mechanics
and adds new ones to the mix.

As
usual all the players, leagues, teams and stadiums
are present in the game and up to date as on 24/8/2005.
Manager Mode (the career mode in FIFA 2005), Tournament
Mode, Create Tournament, Squad Creation and Kick Off
(quick play) also return in the game. Plus a licensed
soundtrack is also present.

So
whats new in FIFA 06? Well, for one thing they
changed the name style didnt they? The commentators
in the game are new (THANK GOD?). Instead of the usual
John Motson and Ally McCoist, Clive Tyldesley and
Andy Grey provide commentary for the game.

There
have been changes made to the Manager Mode also. When
choosing your manager now you can also decide his
age, nation etc. Another new addition to manager mode
is the selection of a sponsor. A sponsor once chosen
will provide you funds for improving your team. Funds
will be provided to you in the form of per match fees,
loyalty fees etc. In manager mode you will also be
able to determine the price of the ticket of the match
(when your team is playing at home) to earn some extra
cash. You will also be able to check stats, manage
transfers and sponsors, invest in staff for your team
etc in Manager Mode.

While
in Manager Mode you will be able to play the match
your team is scheduled to play or watch a Quick Sim
or Visual Sim of the game. Quick sim is something
new which instantly shows you the result of the game
while Visual Sim is a faster version of Simulate Match
option of FIFA 2005.

Needless
to say all the features of Manager Mode from FIFA
2005 are also present. Like the 8 types of staff for
your team and the 15-season journey of you as manager
etc are all here.

Gameplay
wise several additions have also been made. This time
around you will be able to tricks like Pace Control,
Dummying The Ball, Lane Change, Step Over and do a
360 Spin. What are all these new moves? Well I will
let the tutorial videos of the game tell you about
it otherwise those videos would go to waste. I can
tell you though moves like lane changing etc will
be executed with the SKILL STICK! Whats that?
You might ask. Well my friends thats just another
flashy name for your right analog stick. All thanks
to EA. By selecting a direction on the D-Pad you will
also be able to execute on the fly tactical change,
which will change the formation of your team instantly
to adjust to the situation at hand. Plus
all the usual gameplay elements from the previous
year are also present.

EA
Retro is also something new to FIFA 06. Just like
the EA Extras features it contains- you guessed it
extras. But the stuff found in Retro is much better
than Extras. EA Retro will let you play FIFA 94 the
game that started it all, way back in the early 1990s.
How cool is that? Plus you can also watch 10 memorable
moments from football history including the famous
half line goal of David Beckham and watch the history
of the FIFA Football series etc

EA
Extras makes a return in this game. All the usual
stuff like game trailers, credits etc are here. One
nice inclusion in this section is the addition of
Season Highlights of different leagues.

Graphics
wise I didnt find any vast improvements in the
game. Cut out cardboard cameramen sitting on the side
lines are still present in the game plus the crowd
animations dont reflect any major changes. Players
in the game resemble their real life counterparts
and move fluidly just like in FIFA 2005. It would
have been nice to see players hair or clothes
move realistically or show more facial expressions
but sadly its not there.

The
presentation of the game improves upon its predecessor
and the sound effects of kicks and tackles plus the
atmosphere in the stadiums is spot on. Crowds will
sing, cheer and chant their teams names, which
has always been a great part of this series.

In
the end, hardcore soccer fans who wanted even more
realism from this series will enjoy playing around
with the new controls but if youre a player
who thought FIFA 2005 wasnt a great game might
as well rent this game or stay away from it cause
you wont be missing much.